Ifetayo’s mission is to prepare young people for all aspects of their lives through comprehensive and holistic programs that help to empower them to become self-sufficient, productive adults who are actively engaged in the improvement of their communities.

Description:
IFETAYO CULTURAL ARTS is a non-profit organization that uses arts and culture as a means to heal and develop communities of the African Diaspora. The organization was born out of an eight-week series of free modern dance classes for youth in Brooklyn, New York in 1989, and has since grown to serve over 800 students annually through 6 major programs. For over 17 years, Ifetayo has developed and offered African centered programming for youth, families and communities that develop cultural awareness, provide instruction in the performing and visual arts, support academic achievement, enhance health and well being, and encourage personal and professional skills development.

Program Descriptions:
Rites of Passage Companion Programs--Sisters in Sisterhood (SIS) and I Am My Brother (IAMB)--Provides personal, emotional, academic, health and wellness skills to assist young girls and boys in making the difficult transition from adolescence to adulthood.

The Cultural Arts Program offers weekly classes in African Dance, Ballet, Modern dance, Hip Hop Dance, Voice, Traditional and Contemporary Instruments, Visual arts, Drama, Capoeira (Brazilian Martial Arts), Fashion Design, and Creative Writing to children and youth ages 2-21 over a 42 week period.

The Ifetayo Youth Ensemble is a performing ensemble of youth ages 12-24 dedicated to their emotional and spiritual growth and providing them with the tools to utilize the arts for social change.

The Arts in Education Program consists of in school programs in creative writing, dance, drama and visual arts developed with schoolteachers to awaken students' interest in learning. It serves over 460 students annually.

The Marcus Garvey Cultural Heritage Program is designed to build cultural self-knowledge and personal self-esteem among children of African descent through cultural history classes, classroom projects, discussions with scholars of African and African-American Studies, field trips to historic sites and international cultural exchange studies.

The Financial Literacy Institute extends the Rites of Passage curriculum to provide financial management training and college counseling to Rites of Passage graduates. The Individual Development Accounts (IDA) component of the Financial Literacy Institute provides opportunities for this group to accumulate funds for college through personal savings and an innovative donor-matching initiative, and college scholarships.

History:
Ifetayo was born in the spring of 1989 out of an eight-week series of free modern dance classes for youth in Flatbush, Brooklyn. At the close of those first two months, ten students were chosen to receive scholarships for ongoing study. From those ten students, Ifetayo has grown to serve over 800 students annually through six major programs.

Contact person: Kwayera Archer Cunningham, Executive Director, (718) 856-1123, (email)
Office fax number: (718) 856-1192

Address:

629 A East 35th Street Brooklyn, NY 11203 (See a map)

Directions:

Main Office 629 A East 35th Street Brooklyn NY 11203 By car from Manhattan: Take the Manhattan Bridge to Flatbush Avenue. Stay on Flatbush Avenue towards Grand Army Plaza. Go half way around the plaza bearing right and continue on Flatbush Avenue.. . . (more)   Nearest Metro/Subway Stop: 2/5Train - Newkirk Avenue,   Walk distance (in minutes): 5   Nearest Bus Stop: B16, B41, 5 minute walk